A Treetop View: the Forestry Profession in the Reconciliation Era
THE ISSUE:
For much of the 20th century, the forestry sector was a major contributor to BC’s economy, yet Indigenous peoples saw few, if any, benefits from the profits it generated. Two decades ago, provincial policy created a direct award tenure process and invited First Nations to become licensees; however, limitations on the awards hindered First Nations’ ability to build viable and sustainable businesses. While revisions made in the ensuing years have created more favorable conditions, progress has been slow, resulting in further investment uncertainty for the entire sector. To counter these challenges, many First Nations and companies found innovative ways to collaborate and partner.
Keith Atkinson, Board Chair, BC Forest Practices Board, and Trevor Joyce, Director Indigenous Investment, Mosaic Forest Management spoke on the IPSS 2023 about the evolving forestry sector.
Keith Atkinson, Mina Laudan and Trevor Joyce at the 2023 Indigenous Partnerships Success Showcase.
When Keith Atkinson decided to study forestry and become a professional forester, there were only two Indigenous professional foresters in the province. He and two Indigenous classmates brought the total number up to five.
A few decades later, Atkinson is Chair of the BC Forest Practices Board, which he describes as “an independent organization commonly known as the watchdog over forest practices.” For him, this is an exciting time to be in this position and in the sector. “In a time of reconciliation, we need Indigenous voices, we need those governance values woven into these laws and our own laws stood up and recognized.”
Previously, he worked with Nisga'a Nation on developing their forest policies and framework, and then spent a decade with First Nations Forestry Council, a province-wide organization supporting First Nations’ interests and involvement in the forest sector.
“One of the problems I quickly learned over my years, and back when I got my degree, there was not a lot of places to work for First Nations. First Nations communities didn't have land to manage, it was restricted to the Indian Reserves.”
He says the environment for creating Indigenous wealth from the forest sector only came in the 2000s, when provincial policy created direct award tenure to First Nations.
“And I know it was, has been, and still is a challenge for a lot of our communities to become a provincial licensee, run a business, make some profits off that, and create employment. Extremely important economic development, but it still came at a sacrifice because of those Indigenous values of land use not fully being incorporated into how we want to see things operate. That's part of the shift I think we're all wanting to talk about now—we're coming to a time where policies change, environments change.”
He says that the rights granted to First Nations licensees was very narrowly focused for a long time, and because the tenure available to First Nations was taken from companies for redistribution, the situation “introduced this feeding frenzy of corporate interests to partner with First Nations, with that almost singular vision ‘I need that fiber for my mill.’ It created the good, the bad and the ugly in partnerships.
“In most cases, corporate interests, even the government of BC's management units, don't align with traditional territories. The First Nations always come from our land and our territories and how they've sustained a Nation over millennia. It's such an important tie that it's always been a friction point with the corporate interests or even the government of BC's interests.”
But, he adds, “there's no benefit stream from the forest sector to any First Nations until you either have a corporate partnership or you resolve this land question with the government of BC.”
He says that he has seen success emerge where companies have been able to build a relationship with Indigenous leadership and listen to the interests of First Nations.
“The government only offered us a chance to work in the woods, not a respectful reconciliation of our title and rights to the ownership of those. That's slowly coming out now. Corporate leadership has helped resolve that in a lot of ways. And it's a tremendous way to do it because these are people living and working in these territories. So, community is supporting community in that regard. But we need those other pieces to come together. That's how I see that challenge and opportunity.”
Trevor Joyce of Mosaic Forest Management says that his “experience has always been not coming in with a prescribed notion or expectation of what an outcome will be. Certainly, a corporation has its interests, but you need to understand the interests of the Nation you're working with. Sometimes it's economic. Sometimes it's stewardship. Sometimes it's simply community wellbeing. But it really starts from a place of understanding.”
Mosaic, as Canada's largest private land timberland producer, has been operating in coastal BC for over 100 years. They work with 27 First Nations and have 15 signed memorandums of understanding. They serve over 50 local mills, and employ over 2,000 people, including contractors and First Nations.
“One size doesn't fit all for business partnerships,” says Joyce. “That's my experience. I would say our company, for over 20 years, we do have a lot of really good longstanding relationships with partners. Not because it's been a requirement, but because we wanted to do it. Because we operate in a number of communities up and down Vancouver Island. And we recognize that First Nations are not coming and going. First Nations are here to stay. And that's really been our strategic goal.
“Working in ways that we can partner for the benefit of the Nation and for our company is certainly the way we've approached this … And that's been really meaningful for a lot of the First Nations that we work with.”
He agrees the sector is in transition, and that such a transition is a positive one.
“We certainly see First Nations as being much bigger players in the forest sector. That's encouraging. It's a natural resource, it's a renewable resource. And we really support sharing the business with First Nations in the coast of BC. That's what's going to maintain the sector for a long time to come.”
Atkinson notes that a potentially big shift comes from “the government stepping into the Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous People space.
“The interests of First Nations as governments [aren’t] in our laws yet. It's slowly been on the edge of it and it's starting to make its way in. And with DRIPA and with these new frameworks, we can open that door. And I think that's the shift that's going to create certainty for a business environment. There's been a lack of certainty for investment.”
He also sees foresters building on the knowledge held by Indigenous knowledge keepers to change practices so that forests are more resilient to catastrophic fire and flooding.
“We all know that we're at the end of an old growth liquidation phase of the province. It's been a constant harvesting of timber in its first pass. We're at that end and it's a sensitive issue to everybody. And maybe it is sensitive more on the coast than the interior. It's got different dynamics, different diversity in our province. But it's a recognized transition in the sector.”
“We've all learned, whether it's government, industry, First Nations, and professionals in the field, we're all learning how to navigate this a little better.”
“It’s an incredible time to invest in Indigenous communities, their governments, and the shared decision making on the land, along with an investment in the economic strength and powerhouse we can have as a sector. I encourage that involvement and look forward to those next steps as we go forward.”